Cherish
by Rainripple
Summary: A PengLaw fanfic. A oneshot of how they met and their relationship.


Law stared down at the polar bear cub. They blinked at each other for a bit before Law kneeled down in front of it. He wasn't sure why but he felt captivated by this cute cub. He should have been wary and he knew that but he couldn't tear his eyes away from the cub. He smiled at it, which encouraged the cub to smile back.

"Hey kid, move away from that bear."

Law turned away to see a group of villagers with a range of...weapons? (As far as he could see, most of them were just carrying some sort of stick). Law narrowed his eyes.

"Why should I?"

He didn't feel inclined to listen to them; he didn't want to listen to people who would have discriminated against him only a few days before. He may have finally got rid of the Amber Lead disease but he still hadn't regained his faith in the world.

"Because that bears been stealing our food"

Law looked back at the bear. It was quivering with fear and he noticed its ribs were starting to show.

"Not surprised, he looks starving"

The villagers started to move menacingly closer which Law took as a cue to run. The cub was too big to carry so he just urged it to follow him. It willingly followed along to get away from the people after him.

When they neared the end of the village Law realised he hadn't got the food supplies he was looking for and decided to try out something new he had discovered from his powers.

"Room." Law extended the room to a butcher's and swapped a rock from his pocket with some meat and carried on, albeit slightly drained. Law then got rugby tackled to the ground and the villagers caught up with the bear and separated him from Law.

Judging from the size, he guessed he'd been attacked by a child around his age. The boy then tried to strangle Law so he quickly displaced him with a thrust and the two began a quick fight. Law was glad he remembered what Lao G had taught him, as it was very useful right now. Eventually Law gained the upper hand, defeated to the boy and knocked him out. He turned to help the bear out and realised that the villagers had been knocked out and there was now only a boy who was petting the bear.

"S' alright Bepo, I'm here now"

Bepo surprised Law then by pointing at him and saying, "He helped me"

The boy followed Bepo's claw to Law and looked at him. Law felt a little self-conscious and looked away.

"Thanks for looking after Bepo"

"No problem."

Law turned away.

"Guess I gotta go"

He walked a few steps before he felt the world lurch and felt his strength fade as he fell to the ground.

He woke up in a cave with Bepo and his friend.

"Yo, welcome back to the land of the living."

An awkward three way stare ensued between them when Law sat up. Law then noticed a few wound on Bepo and his friend.

"You not gonna to treat that?"

The boy seemed a little surprised before he realised Law was pointing out their wounds. He shrugged

"They'll heal in their own time"

"I think it's better to be safe."

He moved to get his medical supplies from his bag.

"Do you even have medical training?"

Law grunted and moved over to treat them. They exchanged some small talk.

"What's your name?"

"Law, what about you?"

"Penguin"

"Huh, what a strangely cute name for a thug like you"

"Says the little kawaii boy I have here with such a serious name."

Law blushed then and things fell silent between them.

Law sat back when he was done and absent mindly said "Is it me or can I smell something burning"

Penguin shot up then and hurried over to the fire

"Shit, forgot about the stew."

Law turned to pack his stuff away and leave.

"Ohoho, where are you going?"

"I don't want to outstay my welcome"

"No way you're staying here."

"..."

"At least stay for some stew?"

Law replaced his bag and accepted Penguin's stew. It tasted a little bit burnt but underneath that it tasted delicious.

"What's in here?"

"Wild leek, carrot, that meat you stole and... Some other stuff"

Law raised an eyebrow and 'some other stuff' but continued to drink. The three had a very merry time together and Law finally had a chance to loosen up slightly.

"Well if you don't mind, I'll spend the night here and then leave in the morning

"You should stay longer!"

Law turned to Bepo. "I still don't understand why you can talk."

Bepo shrugged. "I don't know either."

"I'm guessing he imitates the way I talk."

"He imitates the way you shrug too"

They all laughed at that and bid each other a good night. Law smiled slightly as Bepo curled up against his back.

"I wonder if we'll meet him again" Penguin murmured as he examined the small wooden penguin Law had left with his note saying

'Thanks for everything. Let's meet again."

Penguin walked into the bar and sat at his usual space at the bar. He sighed. It had been a hard day. Yet again he had been rejected when he had tried to apply for a course at a university for medicine. He wanted to be a doctor but he was rejected time and time again for his thuggish looks. It wasn't _his_ fault. It's not like he chose to look tough, he was just born that way. He didn't choose to have such cold grey eyes and he didn't want his spiky blue hair. He didn't know his mother but sometimes he cursed her for giving him such a cute, inappropriate name. The majority of the time when people learnt his name and compared it with his appearance, they began to laugh and jeer at him. He always beat them up then.

Maybe he was a thug.

He took out the little wooden penguin from his pocket. There was one person who hadn't laughed at his name, just merely pointing it out.

"Who got _that_ for you Penguin huh?"

Shit. It was those idiots again.

"Does little eeny weeny penguin have a girlfriend?"

"Nah, no girl would want him."

"Does he have _boyfriend _then?"

"Eww, what a gaylord!"

Penguin had enough of the jeering. He beat them up for the umpteenth time since they had latched onto him as a target for bullying. As usual they scrambled away from him while still leering at him like the cocky little bastards they were.

He sighed yet again.

He sat back down at his stool at the bar and heard a little chuckle on his left.

"I was wondering if you had kept that little thing."

He turned and took in a tall slim figure with a ever so familiar hat and a whopping big sword. When he looked up he showed his glinting yellow eyes. He was a breath-taking sight.

"We meet again Penguin."

All Penguin did was smile and they began to catch-up with each other since they had separated 6 years ago.

"Shachi, why are you so good at this! Are you cheating?"

Shachi smirked. Most people would have run away from Bepo in fear of what polar bears usually do but he knew that deep down, Bepo was the most adorablest thing ever. He was also rubbish at poker so Shachi enjoyed beating him every time at it. The door behind them creaked and their attention turned to the door to see Penguin.

"Yo peeps, how ya doing?"

"Not too bad Penguin" Shachi smirked.

"Only cos you've almost cleared me out of my money!" Bepo pointed out.

"I met someone at the bar that I'm sure you'll want to catch-up with again."

"Oi oi, you didn't get a girlfriend did you!" Shachi joked

"I didn't, it's someone we haven't seen for 6 years at least. We only met him once but you latched onto him the moment you saw him didn't ya Bepo?"

They heard some footsteps and Penguin stepped aside to allow the shadowy figure to come into the dim lamplight. Bepo just about recognised his hat and that's it. The tall figure was carrying a hella big sword and whoa he was such a good looking man. He wore a smirk on his face, his yellow eyes slightly mocking.

"It's me, Law."

Bepo stood there for a few seconds before leaping across the room and knocking Law to the ground. Law was stunned slightly and his struggles to get Bepo off him were weak.

Introductions between Law and Shachi were brief and the four quickly settled down to have a reunion party.

Penguin lay in his sleeping bag quietly, feeling happy for the first time in a while. The others were asleep so he was left to his own dark thoughts...

"So you're having problems with learning to be a doctor huh?

Penguin chose to remain silent. Was Law trying to put him in a bad mood?

"I have my own doctors license, I can just teach you."

"Heh, I doubt it, anyway I'd rather have a professional teach me not someone my age."

"Humph, if you insist."

It was silent for a while.

"Hey Penguin, are you still applying for uni?"

"Yeah..."

"You don't seem like the type that would just want to hunker down in a quiet town like this."

"... To be honest, what I really want to do is make my own pirate crew with Bepo and Shachi. Bepo is training to be a navigator and Shachi is learning about mechanics so he can buld and maintain our submarine. I'm training to be the doctor."

"Does that mean the captain's position is free?" Law smirked.

"Nah, obviously I'm gonna be the captain."

"Well since I'm hanging around for a bit, I might try and help you."

The conversation ended there.

"What do you mean you won't take me!"

"I said we don't take uneducated punks like you."

"Can you not at least interview me first? You never know, I might actually be nice!"

"Tch, as if."

"Hey old man."

Penguin jumped slightly at Law speaking right next to his ear.

"Mind if I talk with ya?"

"As soon as I get rid of this thug..."

"No see, it's about him, look just come here"

The old interviewer from the medical university was dragged over by Law to a corner and they talked a little bit. The old man seemed really doubtful but Law was just calm and smirked his way through their conversation and seemed to be persuading him to do something. Eventually the old man relented and sighed. They came back over.

"Right young man, it's this way to the interview room."

"Huh?"

Suddenly, in the space of a few minutes Penguin got the interview that had alway been rejected from him.

In a few days, he got confirmation that he had a place at the uni.

In a few years he got the doctorate he had been looking for.

Time and time again, he'd asked Law what he had said to the man and he'd just cryptically said

"I bribed him"

It was the night before his graduation ceremony. He was meant to be getting ready for the ceremony and looking his best but here he was with all the bullies he had accumulated over the last year or so. They wanted to incapacitate him and ruin his special day but he still wiped the floor with them. When he finished he walked home leaving the carnage he had left behind.

Penguin walked away from the ceremony and found his way blocked by several policemen.

"Raise your hands in the air and surrender Penguin"

"Huh" Penguin was taken aback by the command

"You're under arrest for killing at least 100 men."

Then he realised his fatal mistake. He should have left the men alive but he didn't and that act was going to get him convicted...

"Room"

There was a blue film

"Sorry folks, he's my man, you can't take him."

Penguin saw Law lazily grab his shoulder and then they were out of there. Penguin was thrown so off track by the events that he couldn't say anything as they ran to jump off a cliff.

"You still want to have a pirate crew right?"

Penguin nodded.

"Well you're gonna have one. Your friends have been preparing you a present. Our grand voyage begins." They jumped off a cliff and landed on a yellow submarine. They entered and when Law shut the door behind them he yelled "Bepo get the sub moving!"

And they submerged.

Time went very fast then and decisions wear made. The people in the crew consisted of Penguin, Law, Bepo, Shachi and his mechanic friends. Penguin was offered the captain's position but he wanted Law to be the captain. There wasn't much resistance as the crew had become attracted to Law and deeply respected him, both for what he had done for them and for simply being cool. They decided the name of their crew and the Jolly Roger. Soon they were entering the Grand line and having the adventures of their lives...

"Hey Penguin, heard it was your birthday today."

Penguin didn't get to say much more than a "So what if it is" before Law forced a hat onto Penguin's head.

"Happy birthday you idiot, now you can look cute and get the girlfriend you wanted."

He walked off and Penguin took his hat off to examine it. He smiled. His hat had 'Penguin' written on for obvious reasons and inside the hat, there was a little embroidered penguin. It was very wonky but it was cute.

Penguin and Law got on very well as captain and first mate and with Bepo and Shachi, they had the strongest relationship, Penguin relying on Law for his medical expertise and leadership skills, Law relying on Penguin to keep the crew safe and be his strongest right hand man. However it was a while before Penguin really found out more about his captain.

Law was having a really bad day. It wasn't for the obvious reasons like losing in a match or getting swindled or anything (oh _please_ as if that would happen). No, it was because he had kept getting constant reminders of his past. He thought he had buried it away but now it was threatening to overwhelm him. First it started snowing. Then he saw a little boy crying as his house burnt down and Penguin noticed Law's shocked face as the boy screamed "Mother! Father! Sister!" Then Law kept seeing people in shops who were called Lamie and then when he thought he was safe from the reminders of the past in the safety of his own ship, he happened one of his crew mates pointing out something in a medical book and when he looked over his shoulder he was pointing out Amber lead disease. So it was no wonder Law got a nightmare that night.

_The events of that terrible day replayed in accurate clarity. The snow fell on his hands adding to the white that was already there, the white that would one day kill him. Lamie lay incapacitated in bed. Then he heard gunshots. _

_Bang bang, his parents were dead._

_Bang bang, Sister was dead _

_Bang bang, his colleagues were dead too._

_Sizzle, the hospital burned down and Lamie was most likely dead. _

_Law cried in his dream and he would have thought it would have ended there but no, now he felt the warm embrace of his dear Corazon._

_Bang bang, Law now saw the bullet holes in Corazon. And then he was being taken away from him. He wanted to help him but an invisible force was stopping him and now all he could do was cry and scream his sorrow out to the world..._

Law woke in a cold sweat. His disorientated mind misled with his better judgement and the darkness around him seemed to be waiting to strike again. He wrapped himself in his duvet and edged closer to the window in his room. He could have just turned the lights on but he was afraid of the dark between the bed and the lamp so all he did was sit scared out of his wits on the edge of his bed closest to the light and quiver.

"Captain?"

Law looked up .

Penguin took in his captain. His usual exterior was gone and now he was alike to a frightened kitten. His dilated pupils stood out against his yellow iris and there was a haunted look in his eyes. He looked on the verge of crying. He was curled up against the furthest corner of the room and he quivered ever so slightly. What had happened to his captain?

Wordlessly, Penguin moved over and hugged his captain. Law started hiccuping and sniffling.

"It's ok captain, you'd don't need to tell me what happened, I'm here for you."

Penguin began to stroke his captain and try to calm him down. Tears started gushing down Law's face and they started to wet Penguin's shoulder. He tried ignoring the fact that he was treating his captain like a huge pussy cat and focused on getting his captain back to some semblance of normal. After a while he realised Law had fallen asleep in his arms and he blushed. Now his captain looked like a huge overgrown cat and a little kid. He stroked his hand through Law's hair and smiled. Looks like he'll be spending the night here.

_A year after landing at the Sabaody Archipelago._

Law sat silently at the bar on his submarine in utter turmoil. The recent ambush of the marines had been a complete disaster. Sure they were all dead now but there had been some casualties for them too. The one with most concern was Penguin. The idiot had started trying to take on too many people at once. He had been too reckless and at the same time he had been trying to cover his captain's back. He had warned him of overshooting himself. Sure Penguin was his strongest crew member but he'd given every member in his crew a stern warning to only take on people in the new world in pairs but he started to take on people by himself. He had slowly drifted from his captain's back and Law was too far away to stop Penguin from getting impaled in the back. He had managed to save Penguin after the incident but only barely. Penguin was still in a coma and he didn't know when he'd get up

Law clenched his shot glass too hard and smashed it. He sensed that his temper was getting out of hand and ignored his crewmate's concerned glances as he got up and left to exit the sub.

They were docked at an abandoned island and Law walked into the depths of the forest for who knows how long till he got to a clearing. Checking that no one was around, he let himself go and sliced up as many things as he could to help cope with his grief. After he exhausted himself he slumped against a tree that was still standing and cried.

"Why" he whispered at first

"Why why why! Why do the people around me have to get injured so easily! Why do people keep dying on me!" He yelled getting louder and louder

"Why..." He whimpered.

He punched the ground and held a hand up to his crying face

"Why..."

Corazon was weeping slightly for his beloved Law and at the same time simmering with anger. He would do anything to make his Law happy and that would include beating up offenders. Most of the time that wouldn't be possible because of course he was dead and he couldn't touch living people but the circumstances were different. He knew the person putting Law in this state was his first mate Penguin. He knew that Penguin was close to death and he found that reasonable enough to let him go sort this out. He visited the comatose body of Penguin and entered into the deep darkness that Penguin was in. It felt like he'd been walking forever when he found Penguin's spirit. It was mumbling in its nap and Corazon felt his anger build up at this, this, this _idiot_ who had the gall to lie around in a coma whilst his Law sliced up trees to cope with his worry.

He carefully aimed a punch at Penguin and woke him up.

"Ow, what the hell was that for?"

"Get the fuck up you little git"

Penguin had a double take at this huge man dressed in a shirt with hearts on it. He then grabbed Penguin's arm and dragged him towards where he came from. He was glad that this time he wasn't getting lost.

"Could you not have let me sleep for a little longer?"

This cued a slap to be aimed at his cheek.

"You little bitch, Law is cutting up trees to cope with his concern for you and all you want to do is _sleep_? No young man, you definitely can't sleep. Not till you wake up from this coma."

Penguin let himself get dragged to the light then and he woke up to a bright room.

"Bzz...Bzz... Captain...Bzz... Penguin...Bzz... Woke up..."

Law perked up a little from this. He'd fallen asleep a little while ago and only woke up because his den-den mushi started ringing. He teleported himself to the room where Penguin was.

Penguin saw his captain come out of this air and smiled a little.

"Yo, I'm back"

Law slapped him on the same cheek Corazon had.

"Baka! Don't ever do that again you hear me!"

Law started ranting then and finished with a little threat

"If you ever put your life in serious danger like that again, I'll slice you up"

"Well haven't you ever got so serious! Looks like you grew up to be as serious as your name is."

"Well you certainly haven't got any cuter"

And their relationship resumed being what it was like before Penguin got injured.


End file.
